Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ACCRA609
2009-06-26 12:21:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Accra
Cable title:  

Transboundary Parks and CREMAS: West African Natural

Tags:  EAGR SENV XA XY GH 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAR #0609 1771221
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 261221Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7963
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHPC/AMEMBASSY LOME 2218
RUEHCO/AMEMBASSY COTONOU 0861
RUEHAB/AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN 0853
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 0828
RUEHFN/AMEMBASSY FREETOWN 0437
RUEHMV/AMEMBASSY MONROVIA 0839
RUEHOU/AMEMBASSY OUAGADOUGOU 0591
RUEHNM/AMEMBASSY NIAMEY 0351
UNCLAS ACCRA 000609 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR SENV XA XY GH
SUBJECT: Transboundary Parks and CREMAS: West African Natural
Resource Conservation

UNCLAS ACCRA 000609

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR SENV XA XY GH
SUBJECT: Transboundary Parks and CREMAS: West African Natural
Resource Conservation


1. Summary: Kyabobo National Park in the Volta Region of Ghana
represents a growing trend in Ghanaian natural resource
conservation. Bordering the Kue River with Togo, Kyabobo seeks to
form a transboundary national park with the Togolese Fazo-Malfakassa
National Park to create wildlife corridors and harmonize
conservation practices such as anti-poaching patrols and
prosecution. Communities adjacent to Kyabobo have collaborated with
the Ghanaian Wildlife Division to establish a Community Resource
Management Area (CREMA) in which community members derive economic
and social benefits for conserving natural resources. Transboundary
parks and CREMAs represent positive conservation practices for West
Africa. End Summary.

Bigger is Better: Creation of Transboundary Park
-------------- ---

2. Kyabobo National Park in Ghana and Fazo-Malfakassa National Park
in Togo represent upper Guinean forest and savanna habitats home to
a variety of animals including elephants, leopards, and primates.
Being almost eight times larger (1,920 square kilometers),
Fazo-Malfakassa has more biodiversity including the elephants, but
suffers from a small and demotivated staff and poaching. Kyabobo,
however, has a larger more professional staff, efficient
anti-poaching patrols utilizing camps within the park and GPS
tracking systems, and surrounding community participation in natural
resource conservation through the CREMA resulting in overall better
conservation efforts -- something Fazo-Malfakassa lacks. Creation
of a transboundary park would serve several synergistic positive
effects: creation of wildlife corridors, harmonization of
conservation and management practices, and shared resources to
maximize effects in a climate of limiting funding.

Community Resource Management Areas: Exportable Lesson
-------------- --------------

3. Ghana currently administers three community resource management
areas (CREMAs),including the one in Kyabobo. The philosophy of the
CREMA is when the government provides the right conditions and
incentives people will manage their natural resources sustainably.
CREMAs are managed by Community Resource Management Committees
(CRMCs) consisting of local chiefs and other stakeholders. The
CRMCs seek to promote economic and social benefits through
activities targeting nature (i.e. park guides and entrance fees),
adventure (i.e. camping and biking) and culture (i.e. home stays and
crafts).


4. CRMCs have been successful on several fronts including
establishing wildlife conservation centers to engage youth in
environmental education programs as well as camping trips to the
park to view animals and enjoy nature. Partnering with NGOs, CREMAs
have advanced alternative successful economic activities such as
beekeeping and breeding of grasscutters. CRMCs also serve to
enforce the CREMA framework at the community level for example by
requiring an application by individuals to harvest products from the
forest including nuts and fuelwood. Members of the CRMCs also serve
as the eyes and ears on the ground regarding activities in the CREMA
and national park.

Comment: Conservation Messages Resonate with Communities
-------------- --------------

5. In a meeting with community chiefs and other stakeholders that
were involved in the formation of the Kyabobo CREMA several lessons
learned were discussed by members to gain community support for
natural resource conservation. CREMAs are easier to establish
around a national park then extending existing park boundaries.
CREMAs are seen to incorporate more local community control to
preserve their natural resources for future generations and from
others outside the community. Sensitization of communities to
wildlife can inspire conservation. One comment heard over and over
was that individuals had never seen an elephant but when CRMC
members traveled to Mole National Park in northern Ghana and saw the
elephants they saw the possibility of wildlife conservation in
Kyabobo. A final message discussed among CRMC members that seemed
to strongly resonate in support of the CREMAs is the changing
rainfall patterns and the link between forest conservation and
sufficient rainfall.

TEITELBAUM